HeySage

In this episode I show you how to create custom alarms in OS X. In this example I extract an .m4a audio file from an adium sound package, convert it to an .aif, and then place the file in the proper directory. To wrap it up I make an iCal event with the sound as an alarm.

You can watch this episode here.

One of the my favorite things about OS X is the ability to customize things. With that in mind, I really enjoy using custom alarms. I have many alarms that I have accumulated over the years and I really enjoy them. I find them much more satisfying than the standard 10 or so alarms that ship with OS X (basso, submarine, etc.). Keep in mind that these alarms can be used in any application that uses alarms or system wide.

So before we get started lets discuss what exactly a custom alarm is. Well, all it is, is a .aif audio file. That means that you can create a custom alarm be converting any audio file into an .aif and placing it into the proper directory (~/library/sounds). Here are the steps.

Find a sound file and convert it to an .aif. In this example I use Quicktime Pro but it could easily be done using iTunes. To convert the non .aif file into a .aif using Quicktime simply open the file with Quicktime and chose file–>Export (⌘E), select Sound to AIF from the drop down menu in the export dialog box and then click Save (⌅).

In iTunes (the default application for .m4a files) you need to go into preferences (iTunes –> Preferences or ⌘,) and select the advanced tab. Then select the importing tab and select AIFF encoder from the Import Using drop down menu and click OK. Then select the song or sound of choice and click advanced from the iTunes menu and then select convert to AIFF.
Now you need to take the audio file and place it into the sounds directory (~/library/sounds) in the library folder. To do so, in the Finder, go to your home folder (⌘⇧H) and double click the library folder. Then open the sounds folder (if it does not exist create the Sounds folder within the library directory) and place the new file into that folder.
All that is left to do is close any application that you would like to use the alarm in and reopen it. From this point on the alarm will be available in any application.

It is worth noting that there are a lot of really cool sounds within the package contents of various applications. To find them,

Right click (⌃click) the application or folder or whatever and choose show package contents.
Open the resources folder.
Look for sounds. There is usually a sound folder within the resources folder The sounds may be buried within another application which requires you to show the package contents. Just look around you will find them. By doing this you can use any sound from and application be it Skype, Adium, or any app of your choosing.

If you have any questions, comments, or a request please feel free to contact me at info@heysage.com.

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